How Do You Face Fears?

 

Honored to be included in guest over on Life After Tampons. Jennifer Boykin wanted to know how I get past fear, to realize my “big dreams.” How do I know? I suppose if the fear is something that can be associated with achieving a big dream, it’s not a real fear anyway. It’s a fakey first world kind of fear like “they might not like me” or “everyone’s going to find out I don’t know WTF I’m doing.” As opposed to your practical fears, such as “wonder if that water will make me shit my guts out” and “wow, that machete looks sharp.”

Head on over to Life After Tampons for mine and many other approaches to the question of fear. (The picture will make sense if you do.)

PS – Just to be clear, I’m not quite old enough for “Life After Tampons,” but I’m taking it as a compliment that I was invited to participate. Like, on account of I’m wise, and stuff.

Image: star5112, Flickr

Deep Dark Fears of Childhood

Our family uses a conversation starter game called Table Topics. Each night as we eat dinner we pull a card from the box and answer the question. It’s a great way to get the kids talking, and occasionally shock my husband. The other night the question seemed superficial enough: What fear would you like to overcome?

I was trying decide between my fear of spiders versus my fear of noises in the night when my husband is out of town. My son volunteered to go first.

“Okay, what fear would you like to overcome?”

“I’d have to say the feeling of being a speck of dust in the universe, and that life is completely meaningless.”

Wow. The kid was so matter of fact about it. My husband and I shared a look across the table. And we laughed.

“But your life means something,” I said when I composed myself. “It means something to all the people you come in contact with.”

The Boy shook his head. “Yeah, but their lives are meaningless too.”

Duh.